The present application relates generally to an improved data processing apparatus and method and more specifically to a mechanism for reducing the size of electronic mail (email) files by using a local archive of email components such that common email components may be removed from the email file.
With the increasing popularity of computers in today's society, paper communications are becoming scarcer and are being replaced by digital communications, such as electronic mail (email). In addition, with the increased popularity of digital communications, and especially email communications, the size of the digital files, i.e. email files, that comprise the communication are increasing. For example, emails allow for the attachment of multimedia files, various graphical and textual qualities of the communication, e.g., stationeries, various fonts, images, logos, and the like. All of these various elements of an email communication add to the size of the email file that is transmitted from the sender to the receiver computing device.
The increased size of the email files, along with the increased popularity and use of email for communications, causes a reduction in the available bandwidth of the network communication links used to transmit the email files from sender to receiver. In addition, the increased size of the email files requires additional storage space at the sender, intermediate email server, and receiver computing systems to store the email file.